The Asus Eee Pad Transformer runs very well thanks to its 1GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor with 1GB of RAM, though there are some instances of slowdown and lag with heavy multi-tasking.

Since it packs on a near stock Android 3.0 Honeycomb experience, it doesn’t deviate much from what we’ve seen already in other tablets when it comes down to personalization. Asus packages along some additional widgets that supplement the existing set available with the platform – these include Asus Email, Asus Time and Asus Weather. For a detailed and comprehensive look at Honeycomb’s rich set of stock features, you can read more about it in our in-depth Honeycomb walkthrough article.

Naturally, you’ll find all the useful set of Google apps on board like Google Latitude, Google Maps and YouTube, while there are some additional ones preloaded as well, such as Polaris Office Suite, File Exporer, MyNet DLNA, MyCloud (a year of unlimited Dropbox-esque service), Book Reader for ebooks and Press Reader to bring newspapers from around the world onto your tab. Putting things into perspective, while the Acer Iconia comes loaded with games, to reiterate the productivity focused angle ASUS are taking, their Transformer packs none, only productivity tools. Naturally, we would have preferred to see both.

Google apps

Book Reader

MyNet DLNA

MyCloud

Organizer and Messaging:

Being a largely stock Honeycomb tablet, there is nothing different hardwired into the Asus Eee Pad Transformer’s Calculator, Calendar, and Contacts apps though thanks to the keyboard, everything can be accessed by just typing which is a time saver. As can be expected from any Android device, information is synced across your Google account, like your calendar and address book, with Honeycomb adding a visual flare and usability optimized to take advantage of the tablet form factor.

Calculator

Calendar

When it comes to inputting text, when the keyboard dock isn't connected, you have an Asus virtual keyboard with SliteIT / Swype technology in place. This works well for standard typing, differing very little from the stock Honeycomb keyboard, however isn't as intelligent as SlideIT or Swype, and can't feasibly be used in the same sliding way. There is also the standard Honeycomb keyboard as well as a Voice to Text option. While these are usable and there are a host of other tablet optimized keyboards out there such as Thumb Board which offer even more bespoke usability, the real treat comes in the form of the keyboard attachment, offering blistering typing speeds compared to any virtual keyboard on offer.

With an abundant amount of screen real estate, the Gmail experience is a pleasure to use, with threaded view, the ability to label items and a two-panel layout that presents emails in their full fidelity. Alternatively, setting up other email accounts is a breeze, requiring an email address and password for automatic setup. However, if it’s not one of the popular email services out there, you’ll need additional information to get things set up.

20 Comments

Display mode:

Don't give a damn if rear camera sucks so long as front cam is onew of teh best! Besides, i don't see any use of rear camera for a tablet. It's plain awkward shooting with an overasized pad esp in public. Also it just makes tablet more costly.

18.Christopher C. Mitchell (unregistered)

After much research and reading reviews i decided to purchase the Transformer tablet due to the new Honeycomb operating system, its ability to dock the keyboard and the price.

The tablet is very light and thin so perfect for my frequent travel and the ASUS custom apps work well too. The ASUS MyNet app allows you to stream music from your WiFi DLNA source so great or all my music. This app currently does not support XVID format streaming but hoping this will change in a future update. You can get round this by using an app such as MoboPlayer which will run XVID's directly from the MicroSD slot on the side of the tablet.

Battery life is great and i've only had to charge it twice in the past week on the back of a several of hours use each evening.

This is by far the best Honeycomb tablet out on the market today, easily beating the ACER and XOOM in terms of flexibility and price.

Overall an excellent tablet and highly recommended!

( I suggest you have to compare for best price before you buy it at Amz4deals.info/EeePad-Transformer )

5.Nuadar (unregistered)

Under developed platform? its far more advanced than your boring iOS, its having some isuess but that will be fixed soon...
Awkward shape of hinge when dock isn’t connected? who the hell will carry and show this dock without tablet? im planning to either always carry it connected or putting it into bag...another think is how the hell you you want to cower something like removable tablet??
screen loves fingerprints? :O really?REALLY?? every possible touch screen loves fingerprints...EVERY ONE OF THEM...there are no differences

i would deffinately gave this device 9 or 9,5 just because its first really competetive android 3.0 tablet on the market...only bad thing about it is really low production capacity

I think a huge pro as well is pricing point. 16 Gig core 2 tablet for 399, 100 bucks cheaper than it's biggest competition. Cheaper than the playbook, Galaxy Tab, iPad, Xoom, etc. If they keep coming in 100 bucks cheaper but with a good product how can you complain?

I'm thinking about picking this bad boy up, and I'll probably never use the keyboard. But here's the key to the keyboard, if you're using the tablet for E-Reader, or if you like me want to use a tablet for online tablature, this is a built in that you can use for hands off access. And that is a nice add on.

Even if you throw away the keyboard it's a nice deal. Only thing I'm gonna wait on is seeing how long it takes to get updates. But then again as long as they don't lock the bootloader I can just get the updates on my own.

7.qbeezy (unregistered)

"If however, keyboarding isn't your idea of a tab-ulous time, check out the iPad 2"

Really? It's an optional dock. Last time I checked it was still a tablet. This is just biased. Flat out bias. And fngerprint magnet? My ipad had a hellacious time with it. Not just any tab. And awkard shape of henge when dock isn't connected? Bitching cause if you're not using the dock why does it matter!

11.Nick (unregistered)

The keyboard docking definately is a plus point. When I reply my email, when i edit my excel/doc.. just feel like using notebook but Android system. Enjoy the best of two world!!

I've ipad 2 but I gave it to my wife and I'm using this transformer whenever I go!
It has the feature of Mac book Air (open to turn on).. So no waiting time to start up! Loving it..!! The price is attractive!!

I have it, and am using it right now! Its very good. I was one of those lucky people to get it before stocks ran out and I can say that I understand why!! Its excellent and definitly worth getting!!!! Unfortunatly the keyboard as out of stock!!! Grrr I was told it will be in on Saturday, hopefully!! And if your wondering where I got mine, I got it in PC World over in Ireland. There isn't much of a demand to get it because most of us Irish are drunk and cannot by a good tablet and end up getting the I pad!!!

14.aob (unregistered)

Under developed software.... When you can multi-task better, have real-time widgets, more free apps, make your own apps, customize anything from live wallpaper to adjusting your look and feel of the screen... You pretty much just screamed, "I am an apple fan boy"... And how is the dock having an "awkward shape of hinge when NOT connected" be a con? IT'S NOT CONNECTED!!!! DOES IT EVEN MATTER?? IS IT EVEN AWKWARD? The answer is probably not. Fingerprints. Funny how the fingerprint "con" isn't noticed on the iPad review. It seems that most websites now-a-days that are reviewing tablets (or, plainly bowing down to Steve waiting for him to tell them to jump) are just trying to find reasons to give other tablets that are clearly better a bad rating. I'm starting a search for a real review website. I will post on these fake ones quite often the websites that I find, so no one has to listen to little apple fan boys who are pretty much just like sheep on a farm when it comes to having their own voice.

17.Trololo (unregistered)

love the tablet but i can't say i love the price
also, the keyboard should come free or cheap with the device but instead its really expensive!!!!! Hopefully I can make it happen for Christmas but who knows...

Who Would Spend 499$ ON IPAD 2
its an oversized ipod touch.....
where android tablets are a bit cheaper in price ... but are awesome like the galaxy tab
eeepad transformer
and
even the motorola xoom
ipad is total rubbish
waste of money

I have just bought a prime tablet and im having problems with email storage. It just does not save my email messages. After reading them, the next time i turn on my machine the messages have disappeared. Can anyone help me with this, or send me a link to a page that will tell me how to solve the problem. I have lost some valuable messages....

All content (phone reviews, news, specs, info), design and layouts are Copyright 2001-2015 phoneArena.com. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part or in any form or medium without written permission is prohibited! Privacy . Terms of use . Cookies . Team